# Please explain the voucher system used by Germany to compensate Jews after the World War II
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-voucher-system-used-by-germany-to-compensate-jews-after-the-world-war-ii/733033
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 30, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-voucher-system-used-by-germany-to-compensate-jews-after-the-world-war-ii/733033 "2015-09-30T13:37:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-voucher-system-used-by-germany-to-compensate-jews-after-the-world-war-ii/733033/1 "2015-09-30T13:37:52Z")
Hi
I was listening to Ta-Nehesi Coates talk about Germany’s reparations to Jews after WWII. I had never read how the compensation system actually worked.
How exactly did the voucher system used by Germany to compensate Jews after the World War II work? I look forward to your feedback.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-voucher-system-used-by-germany-to-compensate-jews-after-the-world-war-ii/733033/2 "2015-09-30T14:10:44Z")
I’m not sure what voucher system you’re referring to. West Germany made [reparations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reparations_Agreement_between_Israel_and_West_Germany) to Israel in cash (denominated in marks) for the resettlement of Jews who had been in German-occupied territory and Germany before the war.
There was also a separate system of [direct compensation](https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0005_0_04564.html) to Holocaust victims and their families under the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against West Germany.
It would be inaccurate to say “Germany” in this context, because East Germany refused to pay reparations (and could not have anyway because the Soviets had seized most things of value as reparations to themselves). However, the Claims Conference is still sitting so I suppose some of the more recent “West German” reparations have been funded in part by the former East Germany.
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### Author:  [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-voucher-system-used-by-germany-to-compensate-jews-after-the-world-war-ii/733033/3 "2015-09-30T14:27:29Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> I’m not sure what voucher system you’re referring to. West Germany made [reparations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reparations_Agreement_between_Israel_and_West_Germany) to Israel in cash (denominated in marks) for the resettlement of Jews who had been in German-occupied territory and Germany before the war.
>
> There was also a separate system of [direct compensation](https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0005_0_04564.html) to Holocaust victims and their families under the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against West Germany.
>
> It would be inaccurate to say “Germany” in this context, because East Germany refused to pay reparations (and could not have anyway because the Soviets had seized most things of value as reparations to themselves). However, the Claims Conference is still sitting so I suppose some of the more recent “West German” reparations have been funded in part by the former East Germany.
Thanks Really Not All That Bright, Here’s the link to Ta-Nehisi Coates. It’s the first video on the website in which he’s discussion his book “Between the World and Me”
> **[2015 MacArthur “Genius” Award Winner Ta-Nehisi Coates on Democracy Now!](https://www.democracynow.org/2015/9/29/2015_macarthur_genius_award_winner_ta)**
>
> Best-selling writer Ta-Nehisi Coates has been selected as one of this year’s 24 winners of the MacArthur genius grants. Coates is the author of the new book, “Between the World and Me,” which has been called “required reading” by Toni Morrison.
I had never heard or read of any voucher scheme so I was skeptical and wanted to fact-check it. I couldn’t find any reference to a voucher system online either.
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### Author:  [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-voucher-system-used-by-germany-to-compensate-jews-after-the-world-war-ii/733033/4 "2015-09-30T14:58:36Z")
> [@davidmich](#):
>
> Hi
> I was listening to Ta-Nehesi Coates talk about Germany’s reparations to Jews after WWII. I had never read how the compensation system actually worked.
> How exactly did the voucher system used by Germany to compensate Jews after the World War II work? I look forward to your feedback.
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